Mumbai

Perhaps India's most captivating city, Mumbai is a place that can feel utterly overwhelming to first-time visitors. The pace is frenetic, the roads frantic, the whole place seeming to thrive off a remorseless energy. There's so much to see that it can be hard to know where to begin. The spectacular Taj Mahal Palace hotel, the extravagant Chhatrapati Shivaji train station and the Gateway to India arch are all great places to get started. But away from these popular tourist spots, there is so much else to indulge in, from trendy and traditional street food to a game of cricket at the vibrant Wankhede Stadium.

It’s the most happening of cities, a place where over 200 languages are spoken and millions flock each year to see its world-famous sights. New York draws visitors in like nowhere else. The crowded streets of Manhattan are the stuff of legend. First timers will want to head to the top of the Empire State Building and stand beneath the glare of the lights of Times Square. But there’s so much more to see and do, whether it’s catching an Off-Broadway play, checking out world class art at MoMA or shopping the streets of SoHo. Brooklyn’s hip neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Fort Greene offer a more relaxed vibe, while the food in Queens’ Chinatown is worth the long subway ride.